Jonathan Scott Smith Criminal Defense Firm

Two People Charged with Hate Crime for Burning Trump Sign

Police in Princess Anne County have charged two Baltimore women with a number of offense, from arson to hate crimes, for burning a Trump for President campaign sign in a shopping center on Carole Lane. Authorities say the fire spread to nearby vegetation, but was put out by local fire officials. The damage was estimated at approximately $800.

Under Maryland law, the destruction of a person’s property can constitute a hate crime. However, the statute specifically says that, when the property belongs to an individual, the destruction must be based on one of the following characteristics of the victim: race, color, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender, disability, national origin or status as homeless. An attorney for the defendants says the women accept responsibility for the arson/destruction of property, but believe that the hate crime allegation is without merit, as the victim does not fall into one of the stated categories, and the women had a protected First Amendment right to free speech to state their political opinions.

Columbia, Maryland Criminal Defense Lawyer

Maryland Super Lawyer Jonathan Scott Smith has fought for the rights of criminal defendants for more than 30 years. Because of his record and reputation, he has been a multiple recipient of the Client’s Choice Award from AVVO, based on an average client review of 5 stars (the highest rating possible). He has a perfect 10.0 Superb rating as a litigation attorney from AVVO, and is also respected by his colleagues in the legal profession, who have given him an AV-rating under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating System. Smith was also recognized as a 2012 Top Rated Lawyer by The American Lawyer Magazine and Martindale-Hubbell.

Highly Regarded Criminal Defense Lawyer in Ellicott City, MD

We tenaciously fight for people who have been charged with any type of crime. Contact Us by e-mail or call us at 410-740-0101 to schedule an appointment. We represent criminal defendants in Howard County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Prince Georges County and Montgomery County in Maryland.